The Maiden Wolf & The Bastard Bull
by Kittenshift17
Summary: *HIATUS* Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie are afoot, travelling for Winterfell after escaping the Gold Cloaks that killed Yoren. As they make there way, it becomes apparent that maybe there is a little more than travelling companionship between a pretty little Maiden Wolf and a Bastard Bull with bright blue eyes. GENDRYA!
1. Chapter 1

**IMPORTANT NOTE:**_ In this story Ned, Arya and Sansa go to King's Landing after Jon Arryn dies, but Ned never learns about Joffery being an incest baby. He bends the knee, and not long after that Stannis – who was contacted by Jon Arryn about Joffery – declares war on the Lannisters, sending ravens to all in the realm about Joff. Ned and his men along with Lannister men are sent to convince Stannis otherwise, where Ned joins with Stannis, killing off the Lannister men in their party. Sansa still gets stuck in King's Landing since she is too afraid to run away, but Ned speaks to Yoren to have Arya smuggled out of the city and returned to Winterfell. There is still war, from Stannis and many other Barratheon bannermen on Lannisters. Ned was with Stannis, but as he is winning, Ned returns to Winterfell where he finds Arya not home and will have to rescue Sansa from Tyrion. Robb, Cat, Theon, Bran and Rickon are still in Winterfell. Jon is at the Wall. There is no battle of five armies, no King in the North, and no Greyjoy uprising. Those bastard Boltons don't get any kind of power. Arya is making her way home with Gendry and Hot Pie after Yoren puts Gendry in charge of seeing her safely to Winterfell when Cersei sends the Goldcloaks hunting Robert's bastards and he dies fighting them off. They never went to Harrenhal, but are just slowly heading North for Winterfell trying to avoid battles between Lannister and Barratheon banner men._

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**Chapter 1**

Gendry glanced at Arya Stark out the corner of his eye, wondering whether or not she was like to stab him. They'd scraped together enough coin relieved from the dead they came across to afford a room and a hot meal at the Rusty Mace Inn at the Neck. Hot Pie had fallen prey to one of the taverns wenches after Gendry had ignored her flirting and advances. Gendry himself had stayed long enough in the pub to allow Arya the chance to go up to the room they'd paid for so she could make use of a bath.

When he'd finally grown impatient and returned to the room Gendry had stared like a fool at what he'd found inside. If he'd ever needed proof that Arya Stark was not the boy she masqueraded as, he'd found it when he'd stumbled to a stop in surprise to find her washed clean and still naked as a newborn babe, fast asleep in the bright copper tub. She'd slipped down in the water, her mouth below the water line and her nose awfully close to it.

In a panic, thinking she'd drown, Gendry had leapt into the action, trying not to notice the wiry wisp of a feminine form she'd been hiding beneath her tunic. When he'd woken her with a gentle shake she'd glared at him and actually blushed, telling him to get out so she could dress. He'd done as she asked.

Gendry glanced at her again. She wasn't looking at him. They'd only had enough coin to afford a room with one bed and she was currently curled up in it, facing the wall. She'd told him that if he wanted to sleep in the bed he had to wash and since she didn't want to leave the room just so that he could, she was faced away from him.

When the water was heated, Gendry glanced at her again. He could tell she was angry with him for having come in while she was still in the bath, though she'd been asleep and close to drowning. He could tell from the stiffness in her still form that she was uncomfortable staying in the room with him bathing behind her, but she didn't move.

Shrugging to himself and trying not to laugh at the maid of five-and-ten, Gendry stripped off his tunic and breeches before lowering himself into the warm water, surprised by how good it felt to immerse himself in the water. Spotting the soap Arya had discarded, Gendry figured he might as well bath properly and lathered himself up, taking special care to scrub at his hair and the stubble gracing his cheeks.

"Why are you even in here?" She suddenly demanded and Gendry turned to look at her again, surprised she'd spoken to him since she'd not done so after demanding he get out and to wash if he expected to sleep in the bed.

"What do you mean why am I here?" Gendry asked mildly before closing his eyes so he could scrub his grimy face and then submerge his whole head in the water. He heard her reply while his head was underwater.

"What'd ya say?" he asked, lifting his now clean and soap-free head out of the water to peer at her. He raised his eyebrows to find that she had rolled over and propped herself up on her elbows, glaring at him looking frustrated and annoyed.

"I said why were you bursting in here while I was naked instead of off with some whore like Hot Pie?" she demanded through gritted teeth. Gendry looked down at his lap. He could tell from her tone that she was mad that he'd seen her naked, but he'd known from her scowling, derogatory expression downstairs when the serving wench had been trying to flirt with him that she didn't like the idea of either of her friends off with a whore.

"Don't much like whores" Gendry replied, knowing it would infuriate her "Besides, if we were both off with whores, who'd watch over milady?"

Her glare was one of pure anger as she caught his words.

"She was flirting with you before she even looked at Hot Pie" Arya pointed out, "And yet here you are, irritating me and spying on me naked instead of off with her."

"What's your point?" he asked her, enjoying her irritation much more than usual.

"I'm not some pathetic girl in need of protection" she snarled at him.

"Who said you were?" Gendry asked her, having to look back at his lap to keep her from seeing his mirth.

"You just did when you said you were here to watch over a lady!" She growled.

"If I hadn't you probably would've drowned in this tub" Gendry pointed out "The tip of your nose was dipping in the water. Another inch and you'd have drowned and we woulda found you naked, dead and blue come morning."

She snarled in frustration at his reply, clearly less than pleased to know she actually had needed him protecting her, even if only from spiteful gods controlling her sleeping actions. He chuckled to himself, knowing that though she wouldn't admit it, she wanted to know why he'd ignored the serving wench's flirting. His little she-wolf might not like to acknowledge it, but Gendry had seen the flash of hatred and jealousy in her stormy grey eyes when that wench had brushed her hands over his arms, commenting that she'd not seen a man so strong and so handsome in a long time.

He wouldn't have put it past Arya to run the wench through with her little sword or even slit her throat with the eating knife she'd been given for the meal they'd ordered. Not when she'd looked so furious. He could feel her eyes on him now, as they had been downstairs when she'd curled her lip at him and Gendry had tried to keep from smirking then just as he did now.

A few moons ago, after Hot Pie had fallen asleep by their campfire, Gendry and Arya had stayed sitting up, mostly in silence. Gendry smiled to himself as he remembered the way he'd jumped when the wolves began to howl. He blushed as he remembered the way he'd turned to Arya, wide-eyed even as he'd shuffled close to the fire, not liking the idea of becoming any wolf's dinner.

"_That won't save you" she murmured to him, smirking at his reaction when he tried to tug her closer to the fire as well._

"_They sound close" he whispered to her, concerned that they'd be eaten._

"_They are close" she murmured before another howl, this one louder and closer than the first silenced them. Gendry watched the way the wild girl he'd been travelling with closed her eyes, as though savouring the sound of the wolf wailing to the moon. He'd felt a tingle of fascination as she dropped her head back, revealing her face in the firelight as her long hair fell away. It had been growing out for many moons now, and brushed her shoulders in dark, knotted waves._

_He was surprised to see such a sight. Arya rarely showed her whole face like that, preferring to keep her head downcast or her face partially masked by her hair so as to better pass as a boy. When he felt his breath catch in his throat Gendry wondered if it was from fear of the wolves or surprise at her growing beauty. She might've started out a slightly feminine looking boy when they left King's Landing with Yoren so long ago, but Arya Stark's true appearance was beginning to show through._

_He stared at her, with her beautiful face tipped towards the moon, eyes closed as she listened to the hungry sounding howl of the wolves in the surrounding woods. He could tell that rather than feeling afraid of them or concerned that she might be attacked, Arya enjoyed and even savoured the sound of the wolf howl and he remembered hearing from someone that the sigil of her house was the direwolf._

"_I've missed that sound" she whispered when the howl faded away in the night "There were no wolves to howl so far south… we must be getting close to being in the North again."_

"_Aren't you afraid? They might attack us" Gendry said._

_Arya chuckled softly. "They might" she agreed "Are you afraid Gendry?"_

_He stared at her, not willing to admit that he was but unable to lie to her and say no._

"_Do you see them?" she asked him a while later after they'd listened in silence to the howls in the night. Gendry felt a chill crawl up his spine, feeling eyes on him but not seeing anything beyond the glow of the fire._

"_See who?" He asked uncertainly, glancing over at her. He was surprised to see her on her feet._

"_The wolves" she replied and Gendry shuddered, squinting into the darkness but not seeing anything. He watched her move closer to him, taking his arms and tugging him a little closer to the fire, standing close to where Hot Pie was stretched out on the ground snoring._

_Still Gendry didn't see anything but he could tell from the way she eagerly watched the shadows and picked up her bow, knocking an arrow into it and holding it loose but ready, that she'd seen something in the shadows lurking. He almost jumped out of his skin when a wolf howled from the shadows close enough that if he threw a stone he'd probably hit the creature._

"_Don't be afraid" she whispered and Gendry realised suddenly that she was standing between him and the sound, backing him slowly closer to the fire. "They can smell fear. And whatever you do, don't wake Hot Pie. He'll probably try to throw a flaming stick at them to drive them off and set the whole forest on fire."_

"_I think we're surrounded" Gendry whispered back, stopping before he stepped right into the fire when another howl sounded from off to their left._

"_We are" Arya whispered "It's been too long since the pack has eaten and they've a taste for man-flesh from the battles around here lately."_

_Gendry shuddered at the way she said it so sinisterly. Before he could stop himself, Gendry looped an arm around her middle, jerking her back against him, closer to the fire._

"_What are you doing?" she demanded in surprise._

"_If you stand all the way out there away from the fire and they attack how am I going to protect you?" he asked in response, feeling her bristle against him._

"_I'm the one with the bow" she retorted._

"_Maybe, but if they attack a bow won't be much use in close quarters. That's why I have this" he said, drawing his hammer from his belt loop and hefting it where she could see him._

_She snorted at him._

"_Do you see them?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder to meet his gaze before nodding. "There, by that large rock, and there beneath that clump of salt bush."_

_Gendry felt fear clench at his insides with a cold, frigid hand when he squinted at the places she nodded to and found yellow eyes reflecting the firelight back at him._

"_We're going to die, aren't we?" he murmured to her even as a sound to their right drew her gaze, spinning quickly in his grip Arya turned towards the sound without answering him. Gendry turned too and he felt his heart begin to pound in horror and fear when he saw the beast stalking out of the undergrowth and into the open clearing where they'd set up camp for the night._

_It was a wolf, but it was bigger than he'd ever imagined a wolf could be. At least as tall as a smallish horse it's yellow eyes were fixed on the three of them, massive paws carrying it closer to them. Realising that they really were going to die, Gendry did the only thing he could think of in that moment._

_Using his free hand, he spun Arya Stark in his grip, ducked his head and pressed his lips to hers. She squawked in surprise though she didn't jerk away from him for a few seconds. He didn't know why he was doing it, other than that the thought had crossed his mind that he wasn't going to die without at least kissing a woman since there wasn't time for bedding one._

"_What was that?" she demanded when she pulled away to stare at him in shock, her brow wrinkled._

_Gendry shrugged "I don't know, goodbye? Given the way that beast is stalking closer I'd say we're going to die pretty soon."_

_She raised her eyebrows at him before turning away muttering "Stupid bull."_

_Gendry didn't understand how she could seem so calm with that beast coming towards them, or why she hadn't already started peppering it with arrows._

"_Nymeria?" She said in a strong voice and Gendry wondered if she'd lost her mind. He wondered if he'd lost his when the wolf gave a strange sort of yip before bounding towards them. He tightened his arms around the girl in his grip but she was too wiry and thin, too much a wisp as she slipped free of him, dropping her bow to the ground and rushing towards the wolf like a mad woman._

_He thought himself dreaming when he watched his friend wrap her arms around that massive killer, laughing and smiling._

"_Nymeria I thought I'd never see you again" he heard her murmur "You've grown so big, a true Northern Direwolf now."_

_He marvelled at the way she sounded like a proud mother._

"_Arya what are you doing?" he'd called, panicked "You're going to get yourself eaten."_

"_Don't be stupid" She'd told him, walking towards him now with her arm slung over the wolf while it's companions seemed to melt away into the night. Gendry eyed the wolf nervously._

"_What are you?" he'd asked her "Some kind of witch with an unnatural power over wolves?"_

"_What? Stop being stupid. This is Nymeria. My pet Direwolf. I raised her from a pup. When my father became Hand of the King I brought her south with me, but when we were near the Trident I was practicing swordplay with my friend Micah. Joffery and Sansa came along and Joffery was being awful. He hurt Micah and when I hit him with my wooden sword he hit me. Nymeria bit his arm a little and I threw his sword in the river so he couldn't cut Micah again. After that I had to run away and I knew that they'd kill Nymeria if they ever found her so I had to chase her off into the woods. They killed Lady, Sansa's wolf, instead when they couldn't find Nymeria. I felt bad for Sansa, but if she wasn't such a stupid idiot and hadn't lied for that awful Joffery, admitting he'd attacked us instead of saying she couldn't remember, Lady would still be alive."_

_Gendry stared at her, three quarters of her story utter gibberish since he didn't know the people she spoke of._

"_She's your pet?" he asked nervously when he watched the wolf eye Hot Pie's sleeping form "She looks like she's going to eat us."_

"_She's not going to eat you. I trained her not to."_

"_Then why have we been hearing stories of the massive pack fifty strong in this area led by a demon wolf so big it can kill a horse on it's own?"_

"_Well she had to survive after I chased her off" Ayra argued with him._

Gendry shook his head at the memory of the way the little human she-wolf glaring at him now had settled down by their fire with that wolf, cuddled up to it like it was a blanket instead of a man-eater. Curiosity had gotten the better of him eventually and Arya had smiled while she introduced him to the wolf. He'd marvelled at the feel of wolf fur still on a living wolf beneath his hand.

Eventually the howls of her pack had drawn the wolf away from her former mistress and Gendry had watched Arya for the longest time afterwards as she stared into the dark with a small smile on her pretty face. When he'd seen her shiver in spite of the way she was so close to the fire he knew she was missing the heat of the wolf pressed against her and had gently caught her arm, tugging her over to him until she was sitting between his bent up knees while he wrapped an arm around her middle, cuddling her close and sharing his heat with her.

As he glanced at her where she glared at him from the bed now, he couldn't help thinking again about how it had felt when he'd pressed his lips to hers in a kiss. She'd never mentioned it, or rebuked him whenever he tugged her close for warmth when Hot Pie was asleep. Gendry wondered if that was why she'd scowled when that wench had begun flirting with him; because she maybe had the same tingling feeling inside her whenever he pulled her close or thought of how he'd kissed her that time. He glanced at the Direwolf curled up in the corner of the room too. Nymeria was asleep for now.

"If you keep starin' at me you're gonna get an eyeful" Gendry told Arya, rather than letting her know his thoughts. When she kept glaring, much more fiercely now, Gendry shrugged and lifted himself out of the bath, reaching for the damp drying cloth she'd hung over a stool by the fireplace.

He chuckled again when he looked at her and realised she'd rolled away from him, cursing under her breath. He caught the words 'stupid' 'bull-headed' and 'idiot' and tried not to laugh at her bad mood. He could tell she was still mad that he hadn't given her a reason that satisfied her about why he was in the rented room with her rather than off with a serving wench like Hot Pie was.

She would never push the issue, since she wouldn't want to admit anything to him, but Gendry could guess that the kiss they'd shared moons ago might be muddling her thoughts the way it so often did his. Drying himself and dressing quickly in the hopes of keeping the seeping cool of the room at bay in spite of the hot fire and the hot bath he'd just climbed out of, Gendry glanced down at himself. He'd donned his britches and his undershirt, but didn't much fancy the idea of pulling on his soiled, heavy tunic to climb into a clean bed.

When he looked at Arya, wondering how she would react to him doing so, his eyes fell upon something that made him gulp audibly. Laid over a chair by the bed was not only Arya's tunic and heavy cloak, but also her britches.

"Arya…." He said slowly, glancing between the britches on the chair and the girl curled up in the bed.

"What?" she said without looking at him.

"Tell me you're not in that bed naked" he replied seriously staring at her.

"Naked? What is wrong with you?" she said, turning to glare at him again. Gendry nodded to her clothing.

"I wasn't going to put those on to get into a real bed" she said wrinkling her nose "They're filthy."

"Then what are you wearing" he demanded, feeling that strange tingle rush through him again and not liking the way it was affecting his body.

"My underthings" she replied, rolling her eyes "It's too cold for sleeping naked, soiled clothing or not."

Gendry stared at her for a long moment before glancing over at the door. He'd bolted it while he was bathing.

"Should I unbolt it… in case Hot Pie comes back?" he asked her.

Arya shrugged "There's no way all three of us would fit in this bed given the size he is and how bloody wide your shoulders are. But I suppose you'd better otherwise he'll have to sleep in the cold hallway rather than the floor or the chair."

Nodding, Gendry crossed the room, unbolting the door so that Hot Pie would be able to get in if he returned before morning, which Gendry suspected was unlikely given the bosom on the serving wench he'd gone off with. When he returned to the bed, he rolled his eyes to see Arya was lying right in the middle.

"You going to move over?" he asked her, lifting the covers so she'd lose all the heat if she didn't.

"Put the cover down it's cold." She complained, rolling to make enough room for him. Gendry folded himself into the bed beside her, feeling strange to actually be inside and sharing a bed with anyone. The last time he'd slept inside in an actual bed had been in his master's shop in King's Landing and he'd never shared it with anyone.

"You're shivering" he told Arya when he felt the minute vibrations coming from her and he glanced at her in the dim firelight, seeing that her teeth were chattering too. "That bath water was cold when I woke you, you must be freezing."

She was shivering too much and clenching her jaw too hard as she tried to keep her teeth from chattering to reply. Gendry sighed before he reached out, dragging her closer beneath the bedcovers until he was spooned up behind her. He grit his teeth against the familiar twitch his cock gave to have this particular girl so close. He almost groaned when he realised that she might've donned what she called underthings, but might as well have just been rags. Her undershirt was flimsy and light, and he had no doubt that it was probably see-through too. He didn't even want to know what she classed as 'underthings' for her lower half since he suspected that she actually wore nothing, wearing her undershirt loose and long enough to hide her body but not much else.

"Underthings, my butt" he growled in her ear, feeling the way she stilled at his words even as she began to warm up immediately.

"I lost the other underthings mother used to make me wear under my dress-skirts" she told him "They were uncomfortable and awful."

Gendry snorted "You really aren't a lady, are you? High-born, but no lady."

"I've been telling you that for moons" she whispered back before adding "You never answered my question."

"Which one? You ask a lot of them" he replied, amused by her. She snarled at him like that pet wolf of hers.

"About why you're here and not off with a whore like Hot Pie" she said.

"I answered ya. You just didn't like my answer about you needing to be saved from drowning yourself by accident."

"Until you came in you didn't know I needed saving" she argued and Gendry smiled knowing that was as close as she would ever get to admitting she needed help or to thanking him for it.

"Told ya I don't like whores" he said and he knew she wanted more of an explanation but was too stubborn to ask for one. He let her stew for a while before he elaborated.

"Speaking as a bastard, it's not much of a life. Havin' highborns look down on ya, havin' other lowborns call ya bastard. I'm not interested in making any more bastards to be treated like shit, not with this war on and not with winter coming."

He felt her relax in his arms just the tiniest bit at that and Gendry smiled into her hair.

"You actually smell like a lady now" he told her a little while later, knowing she was still awake in his hold in spite of how tired she was. She elbowed him in the ribs.

"Shut up. At least I don't smell like a sewer anymore, and you're the one who smells like flowers, not me." She replied curtly.

Gendry chuckled "You're the one who bought the flowery smellin' soap."

"How am I supposed to sleep with you bellowing like a bull when you laugh like that?" she asked him nastily and Gendry could tell she was trying not to laugh with him.

"How am I supposed to sleep with you wriggling like a damn worm?" he shot back.

"I'm not wriggling" she protested.

"Besides" Gendry continued as though she'd not spoken "If you sleep you'll snore like a stag with the sniffles again and then I'll have to lay awake listening to it all bloody night."

"Really? You're going to complain about _me_ snoring? When you sleep it's like being in a pigpen, what with all that grunting and snuffling and grumbling."

"Never stopped you sleeping before" Gendry pointed out.

"How would you know? You were asleep while I was kept awake plotting the best way to kill you."

"You wouldn't kill me" he murmured into her ear, wondering at the way he felt all the little hairs on her arms and neck stand on end as though she was cold even though he knew she was now toasty warm.

"Why not?" she demanded indignantly, sounding very much like she'd considered it a time or two.

"For the same reason I'm here and not off with some whore or serving wench" he told her, feeling her stiffen "You'd freeze in your sleep without me."

Arya elbowed him again, but Gendry could swear he saw her smile and blush a little at his words.

"If I ever get to sleep you mean."

"You're the one who keeps talking" Gendry told her.

"I hate you."

"Liar" Gendry chuckled, tugging her a little closer and more snugly against himself when he felt and heard her yawn. "Get some sleep. I promise not to snore at you."

"Now who's the liar?" she murmured slowly and Gendry smiled as he felt her body relax as her breaths evened out and she slipped off to sleep. Closing his eyes, he tried not to notice the scent of her hair and skin. It was one that reminded him of soil after it rained, only it was a colder scent, making him think that maybe she smelled like snow.

As he felt sleep come for him, he smiled softly at the idea that he might've been born a lowly bastard but he must be lucky. How else could he be cuddled up to a highborn wolf-girl in a featherbed at an Inn far from judgemental eyes and without even a hint that he'd ever be killed for it?

Sometime later, Gendry jolted awake at the feel of someone touching him and he reached for the knife Arya had stashed under the pillow he slept on, feeling her still curled up inside his arms, warm and safe.

"Move over" a familiar voice said and Gendry glanced over his shoulder to see the large, swaying form of a drunk and cheery looking Hot Pie.

"Stoke the fire" Gendry told him, instead when he looked past the fat boy to see that the fire had died down. "There's wood in the box."

Hot Pie grumbled a little as he staggered over, but he did as Gendry asked him while Gendry tried to work out how they were all going to fit in the bed. Arya was just a wisp and pressed so close took up next to no room at all. Reluctantly releasing her, Gendry rolled her onto her back, listening to the way she made soft growling sounds in her sleep like a wolf. He pushed her all the way to the far edge of the bed against the wall, shuffling over as far as he could next to her on his back before lifting her easily so that she was laid out of top of him, her cheek against his chest and her stomach pressed to his.

Hot Pie climbed into the space he'd made, while Gendry shuffled his body further across, filling the space Arya had vacated when he'd pulled her onto his chest.

"You and her, huh?" Hot Pie said a few minutes later when all three of them were settled while Gendry felt Arya snuggling her face against his chest, trying to get comfortable even though she still slept soundly. Gendry froze at his words, glancing sideways at the boy beside him. He must not be as drunk as Gendry had thought because Hot Pie stared back at him, nodding a little.

"I know she's lying about bein' a boy" he said "And that you know it too, else you wouldn't have her stretched out on top of you like that."

"How long have you known she's a girl?" Gendry asked him. Hot Pie shrugged.

"I thought maybe, for a while that she was lying. She's getting too pretty to pretend she's a boy, even when she keeps her head down or hides in her hair. But when you told that wench to shove off downstairs I knew for sure."

"We're not… I mean… There's not… I mean, it's not like _that_" Gendry said, realising that Hot Pie thought he was fucking her, that he'd been in here fucking her while Hot Pie had been off fucking the serving wench.

"Looks like it's like _that"_ Hot Pie replied, nodding at the sleeping girl still snuffling on his chest, rubbing her cheek against him before pressing her cold nose into the side of his neck.

"Well it's not. She's just tiny and this bed's not big enough for three."

"Then why ain't she wearin' pants?" Hot Pie asked him, nodding in the now glowing firelight to the breeches Arya had left draped over the chair.

"I dunno, she said she didn't want to sleep in them. She's not naked… look" he, said lifting the covers enough to show Hot Pie the shirt she still wore and that he was clothed too.

Hot Pie didn't say anything else, but Gendry could tell that the boy didn't believe there wasn't anything going on between him and Arya.

When Hot Pie began to snore softly, Gendry lay there awake, still holding Arya against him, his hands pressed to the small of her back to keep her from rolling off him; he chewed on his bottom lip, wondering if maybe the reason Hot Pie didn't believe there was nothing between Gendry and Arya was because, well, maybe there was.

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**A/N: This chapter was edited to include the context mentioned at the top to make it all make sense as the story goes. Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts so don't forget to leave me a review. They make me write faster. Much love. xx-Kitten**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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Arya groaned when she woke to the sound of Nymeria scratching to get out. Blinking blearily as she tried to get her bearings, she growled under her breath. She'd been dreaming of Winterfell and the familiar sound of the wolf wanting to be let out waking her was one that reminded her of home and her chambers. It took her longer than it should have to remember that she was in a room at an Inn and that she was a long way from Winterfell.

As she lifted her head, she realised that she was incredibly warm and that there was a dull ache in her chest that usually came from sleeping on her front on the cold hard ground. She blinked when she realised she was nowhere near the hard ground as she stared into the handsome sleeping face of Gendry. Stretched out on his back, still sound asleep, Gendry held her cuddled close and Arya wondered what in seven hells was going on.

It was a rare occurrence that she would fall asleep cuddled up with Gendry by the fire for warmth, and rarer still that she would wake still held by him. In those instances too, she usually woke lying on her side with him wrapped around behind her. Staring at his face she wondered how he could possibly have slept comfortably like this, and when it was during the night that she'd climbed on top of him and fallen asleep.

Cradled against his chest with her body resting along the length of his, she'd actually slept that way.

Nymeria scratched at the door again before whining at her, glancing over at Arya. Arya nodded to the wolf.

"Alright, alright I'm coming" she told the wolf in a soft voice, not wanting to wake Gendry and have him realise she'd climbed on top of him in her sleep. As she went to roll off him, Arya froze, spotting Hot Pie stretched out and taking up the rest of the bed space not filled by Gendry. Cursing under her breath as she realised there was no way to just roll off Gendry, Arya tried not to panic.

The only solution she could see was for her to straddle him like she would a horse and then stand. She was reluctant to do it since the only time she'd ever seen a woman straddle a man that way it was because they were fucking. She also didn't much like the idea of standing up with him lying beneath her since she wasn't wearing any britches and he would be able to see straight up her undershirt. He'd seen her naked in the tub last night and that had been bad enough, to get a look from the angle he would if she stood over him would be mortifying.

Nymeria scratched again indignantly and Arya groaned when the wolf came over, clambering up on the end of the bed and taking Arya's foot in her muzzle shaking her gently as though to wake the girl.

"Nymeria" Arya whispered admonishing, tugging her foot out of the wolf's reach and glancing at both boys to make sure they hadn't woke. Gritting her teeth Arya pressed her hands to the bed either side of Gendry's broad chest which she'd been using for a pillow, and levered herself up wriggling until her legs were straddling him. She froze when she felt something particularly hard and hot poking her through his britches and Arya blushed like the maid she was. Nymeria yipped when Arya stopped moving again and Arya closed her eyes in horror just knowing the wolf was going to wake the boy she was straddling.

She hissed in surprise when Gendry's hot hands ran up her bare thighs, seizing hold of her as he jolted awake.

"What are you doing?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Trying to get off you" Arya told him "I have to let Nymeria out."

Gendry nodded at her before he came fully awake when she wiggled on his groin trying to get her feet under her. His hands flexed subconsciously on her thighs and Arya felt the appendage beneath her harden even further as he woke fully and realised she was straddling him.

"Arya" he breathed, his cheeks darkening in the early morning light as he blushed, Baratheon blue eyes meeting hers with a gleam in them Arya had never seen before.

"Don't stare at me" She whispered "I have to stand to let her out and I'm not wearing britches."

She could swear she heard him groan even as his body jerked beneath hers. Arya bit her lip as a strange feeling like she'd missed a step going down the stairs shot through her at the way his body involuntarily bucked just the tiniest bit beneath her spread legs. Gendry stared at her, his hands still on her bare thighs, fingers subconsciously tracing strange patterns against her skin that gave her goose pimples.

"Close your eyes" she whispered to him, pressing her hands against his chest, meaning to lever herself to her feet that way. He smiled at her for a minute and Arya wondered what was wrong with her that she felt funny at the sight. Slowly he let his eyes drift closed and Arya pressed against him as she got to her feet. He held onto her ankles when she swayed precariously as though she might fall and Arya shivered at the loss of his warmth and body heat when the blankets fell away and the chilly morning air prickled her skin.

Walking to the end of the bed rather than risking clambering over Hot Pie and waking him too, Arya went to the door, unbolting it so the wolf could get out. She groaned when she realised that the village surrounding this Inn had all come in last night to gawk at them upon spotting the Direwolf, but wouldn't be used to seeing her and might attack her in shock. Especially if she went after their livestock for her breakfast. Before she opened the door, while Nymeria watched her expectantly, Arya turned and went back to her clothes, wrinkling her nose at the idea of putting them on again since they were so filthy.

"What are you doing?" Gendry murmured, watching her and looking concerned.

"If I just let her out she might kill livestock that belongs to people or someone might mistake her for a wild wolf and try to kill her. I'll have to go with her." Arya told him, wriggling into her britches before tucking her undershirt in and pulling her tunic and cloak on over the top.

"You can't go out there by yourself, it's still too early." Gendry told her and Arya watched him throw back the covers.

"I'm not some helpless girl" Arya argued with him.

"Not helpless no, but you're still a girl and if there's some rapist or murderer out there they'd love to catch you."

"What do you think Nymeria would do to them?" she asked him sarcastically, pointing to the monstrously sized wolf by the door.

"She'll be hunting down her breakfast in the woods so probably not much if you needed it until it might be too late." Gendry told her, tugging his tunic over his head. Arya gawked when his undershirt rode up to reveal his washboard stomach for a moment before disappearing beneath his clothing. He tugged his cloak on before glancing at her and seeing that she was looking at him strangely.

"What?" Gendry asked her.

"Nothing" Arya said, shaking her head even though he could probably hear her cursing under her breath about what an idiot she was to be noticing silly things about him like his stomach and his eyes, and what an idiot he was for insisting he accompany her just to let Nymeria out.

"Where are you going?" Hot Pie's voice asked them when the door creaked open.

"To let Nymeria out somewhere she won't kill people's livestock" Arya told him "You can go back to sleep a while longer if you want, or there's water if you want to bathe before we move on from this place."

Hot pie waved his hand at them noncommittally and Arya laughed as he rolled over and started snoring again.

Arya followed Nymeria, glancing at Gendry out the corner of her eyes, wondering why he'd not said anything about her straddling him.

"I'm sorry I was asleep on your chest" Arya blurted finally when the tension got the better of her. Gendry looked at her, surprised.

"Why are you saying sorry? I put you there" Gendry said, frowning in confusion.

"Oh…. I thought I must've woken up being squashed by you and Hot Pie and in my sleep climbed on top of you so you'd know what it was like to be squashed…"

Gendry laughed.

"Hot Pie came back to the room this morning, drunk, and wanted to sleep in the bed. Since I didn't feel like arguing with him to sleep on the floor, I moved over and so you wouldn't be crushed into the wall I put you on top of me. Gave me more room for my wide shoulders" he grinned at her.

Arya nodded in understanding, relieved she hadn't just climbed him in her sleep since that would be strange.

Nymeria had bounded away into the woods and Arya lounged against a tree, enjoying the cold morning. She glanced around in the low morning light of pre-dawn and felt her heart begin to pound with excitement when her eyes caught movement from the stables by the Inn.

"Gendry look" she pointed to the three horses hitched, still saddled in the stable. They bore the fine armour and saddlery of goldcloak steeds.

"Goldcloaks" he hissed, ducking closer to Arya since they'd come looking for him before and might still be. "What are they doing here?"

"More importantly, why would they leave their horses like that?" Arya asked him, smirking widely. "It's like they're inviting people to take them."

"Arya no" Gendry hissed when Arya whistled for Nymeria.

"Think of how much faster we'll get to Winterfell with horses. It's not like we can afford any, and I don't like stealing from poor farmers."

"So it makes more sense to take the horses belonging to the Kingsguard?"

"Yes, the only ones who would pursue us for it in these parts are the goldcloaks themselves and if we have their horses…."

"You know me and Hot Pie can't ride that well" he told her, frowning.

"You can ride well enough to put a fair distance between us and them, and if we stayed off the road, they'd never catch us before giving up." Arya told him.

"This is a bad idea" Gendry told her.

"Shut up. I need you to go back to the Inn and get Hot Pie. I'll meet you both on the far side of the village. It's so early we'd have a huge head start."

"How are you going to handle three horses when you've got a direwolf sniffing around?" Gendry argued in a whisper.

"She knows to stay back if the horses shy, she'll just have to trail us or stay wide of us. She's used to it. She used to do it all the time at Winterfell. Go and get Hot Pie. Hurry."

Gendry looked like he wanted to argue some more, but before he could, Arya began to stalk towards the stable. She'd learned a thing or two about stealing in her time and she knew the most important thing was to make it look as though she was meant to be there. Behind her Gendry strode off to the Inn.

The horses snorted as Arya unhitched them and she held the reins tightly as she led the three mares out of the stable and into the woods, moving at a brisk walk. She was hidden just off the road with the three horses when a confused and scared looking Hot Pie and grumpy looking Gendry came tearing up the road as they fled the village. Arya whistled to get their attention from amongst the trees and they veered towards her, slowing when the horses jostled slightly at their movements.

"That felt too easy" Gendry told her, taking the set of reins she handed him for the bay mare and climbing awkwardly into the saddle.

"I know. We'll have to ride hard to put some distance between us and them today." Arya told him, helping Hot Pie, holding his horse still while he climbed into the saddle of the horse looking concerned. He wasn't very good at riding, and was usually nervous and fidgety. When he was finally settled in the saddle Arya swung aboard her own mare, this one pure black all over, and she caught the way both Gendry and Hot Pie eyed her enviously for the ease and grace she had in the saddle.

"I know neither of you are all that confident but we need to make a lot of ground today, think you can keep up with me at a lope?" she asked them. She knew Gendry could, and that Hot Pie would probably be terrified.

"I don't think I can" he said.

"We'll stop often, and that mare will probably just keep up with ours so you'll mostly have to hang on when she gets going" Arya told him, having chosen the most docile of the three to give the boy.

"Couldn't we just keep walking instead of stealing from the goldcloaks and riding?" he protested.

"There's nine hundred miles by the King's road from the border of the North to Winterfell" Arya told him, "and this village is about a hundred miles south of the border. Do you really want to walk that far yourself?"

Neither boy protested again when they heard that. Arya showed them both how to nudge their horses into movement with their heels. Smiling at the feel of being in a saddle again as they loped off up the road, knowing it was early enough in the morning that they weren't likely to run into anyone on the road for a few hours at least, Arya felt better knowing that she'd be home in Winterfell again just a little bit sooner.

* * *

Seven days in the saddle with limited food since they'd been rationing what they bought back at the Rusty Mace Inn, and all three travellers were miserable. Hot Pie groaned that he was going to have a second hole in his arse and Gendry waddled whenever he got off his horse to take a piss.

The horses, fit from regular exercise in the service of the goldcloaks didn't seem to mind the hard riding every day. Arya herself was stiff and sore, her thighs and arse aching for the leather of the saddle and the position of straddling that way all day. Unlike the boys her body was more accustomed to riding and so forgotten muscles were tightening and strengthening again, making it easier the longer they rode. She knew they were getting close now, having spied the looming form of Castle Cerwyn in the distance just before they'd stopped to make camp for the night. It was only a day's ride from Winterfell.

"We're almost there" Arya announced excitedly "I saw Castle Cerwyn in the distance. It's only a day's ride from Winterfell."

"Does that mean we can stop for food? I'm starving" Hot Pie complained even though Arya had got them two fat rabbits that were roasting over the fire.

"We have enough food to last one more day and then we'll be in Winterfell. Besides, I don't want to let them know I'm coming. I want to just ride into the main yard and surprise them all."

Hot Pie grumbled under his breath and went back to turning the rabbits on the spit. Gendry watched her over the flickering flames.

"We need more firewood to make the fire last the night" Hot Pie told them both when they both said nothing else and Arya smirked, knowing they had enough but knowing he liked to burn it hot because he and Gendry were feeling the chill of the North. In the last village they'd passed through Arya had stolen them all some warmer tunics and breeches, as well as heavier cloaks that the Southern ones they'd all been wearing since they left King's Landing.

"Come on" she nudged Gendry with her foot. He was still stiff from riding and Arya had to offer him a hand to get him to his feet when he hissed at his pulled leg muscles.

"If we get to Winterfell and you ever ask me to get on a horse again I'm going to hit you with my hammer" he told her grumpily.

Arya laughed, too excited about finally getting home to care that he was in a bad mood.

"You won't have to ride again unless you want to. If Father's home he'll talk to Mikken about letting you work in the forge to finish your training if you like…. Unless you'd rather go to the Wall and take the Black…."

"Since I'm already cold here, I'd rather not go any further North than necessary" Gendry told her and Arya felt happiness swell in her chest at the idea of him staying in Winterfell. Hot Pie would easily find himself a place in the kitchens, and Gendry would be welcome in Mikken's forge, she knew. She'd talk to the old Blacksmith herself if she had to, though she doubted she'd need to.

"You're excited aren't you?" He asked her a little while later, watching the way she had a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. It was even bigger than the one she'd worn when Nymeria came back to her.

"Yes. I've not seen my family in more than a year. They must be worried sick that they never heard from me… I should've sent a raven…"

"When we get there you really will be milady" Gendry said in a soft voice as he turned to peer at her through the gloom as evening fell.

"What?" Arya said suddenly, dropping her armload of firewood in surprise.

"Did you forget?" he murmured "Out here you're just Arya, but when we get to Winterfell…. You'll be milady Arya Stark, highborn daughter of a Lord. You'll have to give up those britches for a pretty dress and do your hair nice every day. Me and Hot Pie will only see you if you deign it and if you're permitted. It won't be us being friends no more, there it'll be that you're a lady and ladies don't associate with bastards."

Arya felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she looked up into his blue eyes. He was right in some ways, about the way they would be expected to behave and mother would no doubt try to force her back into a dress. Squaring her shoulders Arya resolved not to let them.

"You say that because you don't know what they used to call me" Arya said softly, "Mikken, the smith you'll get to work with… he always used to call me Arya Underfoot because I was always in the forge or the yard where the men were working or training the horses or teaching the boys to spar…. I was always getting in the way they'd say, always underfoot. You think that just because I'm a little older that I'm going to stop?"

Gendry gave her a soft smile.

"They're going to ask questions, you know" Gendry told her.

"What kind of questions?" she asked, frowning.

"Questions about what you've been doing travelling with two men for more several moons" Gendry said.

Arya bit her lip. She could just imagine the types of questions her mother would ask her about what she'd been doing with two boys…. Men, she thought, looking Gendry over and realising that he might've still been just almost grown boy when they'd left King's Landing, but now he was a man grown, with a beard covering his cheeks and chin, his broad chest deep and wide. She blushed as she realised that her lady Mother was going to ask her whether or not one of them, probably Gendry, had taken her maidenhead.

"There's not much for them to question" Arya shrugged dismissively.

"You're forgetting that I've seen you naked Milady," Gendry pointed out bluntly, his voice low.

Arya blushed again even as she stomped her foot "Don't call me that!"

"But I have to. It's good practice, since by this time tomorrow we'll be expected to call you that," Gendry told her seriously.

Arya stared at him for a long time, thousands of memories flickering through her mind.

The way people had treated Jon for being a bastard; the way mother and Septa Mordane always told her that one day she'd have to marry a lord; Father in King's Landing sitting with her when she was practicing her balance like Syrio said, telling her she'd one day marry a lord and rule her house, have sons who were knights and lords. Arya remembered the strange, concerned look he'd given her when she'd told him that wasn't going to be her life.

"Gendry" Arya said seriously, looking up into his face and wondering if he could see how much she'd come to care for him in the time they'd travelled together. "Don't ever call my milady. I don't care who says you have to or what stupid rules say it should matter that I'm highborn and you're not. Don't ever call me that. Promise me you won't be stupid and let them stop us from being friends."

Gendry stared back at her and Arya wondered what thoughts were going through his mind as his expression flickered. She flinched when he dropped his firewood and tugged her to him, wrapping his arms around her tight and squeezing her close as though he was afraid to let her go again.

"Promise me" Arya insisted, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face against his chest.

"I promise Arya" he murmured into her hair.

Arya didn't know how long they stood that way, clutching each other close in the growing darkness. Suddenly she didn't feel so good about going home after all.

* * *

**A/N: I hope y'all are enjoying the story so far. Let me know what you think. I love reviews. Big thanks to those of you who review on chapter 1! Much Love. xx-Kitten.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

When Hot Pie finally began to snore, Gendry looked over at Arya. He knew he should be happy that soon they wouldn't have to travel anymore, that he'd get to work a forge again. That he'd be able to sleep and work inside where it was warm instead of in the gathering cold of the Northern winter. He knew he should be happy for himself and for Arya, who was finally going to get to see her family again after so long apart from them.

He knew he should be happy about it, but he wasn't. He was miserable with the knowledge that soon he'd be treated like the bastard born boy he was once again. On the road with Arya and Hot Pie, they didn't treat him any different. Hot Pie was a bastard too so he knew what it was like, but not once had Arya ever treated him differently for it. She looked at him as though he was just another person and he knew that to her rank and birth status meant nothing.

He wondered how long that would last when she was back in her castle with her lordly family.

As he watched her, he wondered how much things would change tomorrow. Now, she lounged against Nymeria by the fire, dragging her hands through the wolf's fur. She stared into the flames lost in thought. She wore stained and soiled clothing, her britches and tunic stained dark with sweat, blood and dirt from the hard riding and from killing and skinning those rabbits she'd shot for them to eat. Her shoulder length hair hung lank and unwashed around her grimy face. She didn't seem notice it, and if she did, she didn't care. She looked pensive and relaxed, at home being dirty and smelly.

Gendry imagined in his mind what it might be like to see her dressed differently, bathed and clean every day, possibly wearing dresses though she often commented on how much she hated them. He wondered what her family would think of him, whether they would accept him and let him work in the forge at Winterfell; whether they would torture him to find out if he'd laid a hand on her; how they would like the idea of her still spending time with him when they were back in the real world where ladies didn't deign to even look at bastard born boys, let alone snuggle up with them or kiss them.

Feeling his eyes on her, Arya turned to look at him, cocking her head at him questioningly. Gendry just kept watching her for a little longer before holding his arms out towards her in the recognised signal he often used to offer her warmth if she wanted it. She smiled at him as she kissed Nymeria's nose before crawling over to him. Gendry sighed when she shuffled back on her arse in the dirt until she was sitting between his bent up knees, her body reclining back against his chest. He leaned back on one hand for balance, wrapping the other one across her stomach.

It felt good holding her against him and Gendry felt a strange ache in his chest at the idea that come tomorrow, she might never snuggle up next to him ever again. Resting his chin on the top of her head, Genrdy watched Nymeria crawl closer until the wolf was curled against his side and his leg, facing towards the fire. Arya chuckled, reaching over his thigh to pet the wolf.

"You're always so warm" she whispered to him after a little while and Gendry smiled in spite of his melancholy.

"Someone's got to be. You're too skinny to generate your own body heat."

"You're sad" she accused him, knowing his moods by now. "Why?"

Gendry sighed.

"Don't you want to come to Winterfell?" She asked him in a small voice.

"I do." Gendry told her "I want to work a forge and the steel again, to sleep inside where it's warm every night instead of out in the cold like this. To not have to go hungry all the time."

"Then why are you sad? We're almost there" Arya asked him. Gendry didn't answer, not knowing how to tell her that he was going to miss her and the way she treated him, that he was afraid the Arya he knew would be washed away like the grime on her face and replaced by a proper lady.

"Is it because of me?" Arya asked him finally and Gendry nodded, his chin bumping against the top of her head repeatedly.

"Ladies don't snuggle up to bastards like this when they get cold" He told her, squeezing her a little tighter.

"Good thing I'm not a lady."

"Highborns don't Arya. I'm a bastard. You're family are going to look down their noses at me as being nothing more than an errand boy who fetched you home."

"They won't" Arya argued "I've a bastard brother, Jon. He's gone to the Wall now, taken the Black, but that's because my mother never liked him…. It wasn't because he was a bastard. I think it was because he was a reminder that Father rode off to war and left her all alone in Winterfell. She wasn't used to the North and still doesn't like it that much. When he came home Father had Jon with him. Mother never let it go that he'd left her here and then went with another woman while they were away at War."

"It doesn't matter what they think of bastards Arya" Gendry told her "They won't like a bastard who's not related to you being anywhere near you."

"They're not stupid Gendry" Arya argued with him "They're not going to just drag me away and never let me see you again. Father will probably reward you and Hot Pie with anything you could want for bringing me home safely."

Gendry held his tongue before he could blurt something about not being given anything he might want when what he wanted was her, just like she was now, happy and free and allowed to do whatever she wanted, even if that might be snuggling up to a lowly bastard smith. They sat in silence after that and Gendry wished there was some way he could make the night last forever.

"Gendry?" Arya murmured much later when his eyelids had begun to droop with tiredness.

"Yeah?" he asked her.

"Do you remember the night Nymeria came back to me?" she asked him cryptically.

"What about it?" he asked her warily, aware of the fact that he'd kissed her that night.

"Why did you kiss me?" she asked him in a soft voice without looking at him. Gendry tensed.

"I don't know" Gendry admitted "I thought we were about to be killed and eaten by wolves."

Arya didn't say anything.

"I wanted to" he murmured finally "Just once before dying I wanted to kiss you."

He didn't say it, but he wanted to do it again now. He'd wanted to kiss her again many times since that first one and the closer they got to Winterfell the more he'd wanted to. Just one last time. Just in case.

"It felt nice" she whispered much later and Gendry felt himself smile.

"I'm going to miss you tomorrow" Gendry whispered in her ear.

"But you'll be with me" Arya said, confused.

"I will, until we get to Winterfell. Then you'll be with your family."

Arya was quiet for so long that Gendry thought she must've fallen asleep against him.

"But you're my family too" she told him and Gendry felt something inside him prickle painfully at her words. He'd never had a family and more than once on the road he'd thought that being with Arya and Hot Pie was what it must be like; dealing with their moods; caring if they were happy or cold or hungry; wanting to make sure they were safe.

Not knowing what to say at her acceptance and her declaration, Gendry leaned around and pressed a kiss to her cold cheek.

Or he tried to. Just as he did, she turned her head, meaning to look at him and instead of her cheek, his lips pressed against her lips. She made a soft sound, but she didn't pull away from him, kissing him back shyly.

Gendry felt his insides swoop at the sensation of her lips moving against his and when she wriggled in his hold he let her go, realising she was trying to turn around so she was facing him and not kissing him over her shoulder. When she turned and was sitting on her feet between his legs, she looked up at him and he knew she wanted to kiss him again but wasn't sure how to say so. Smiling at her gently, he leaned forward, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek. She leaned her face into his palm and Gendry marvelled at the fact that she was so comfortable and accepting of him. So trusting and unreserved.

When he moved in and brushed his lips over hers again, she kissed him back, this time less shy as she got used to the sensation. Gendry wrestled with the urge he felt to tug her against him and lay back with her splayed across his chest like she had been at the Inn. When she leaned into the kiss, bringing her hands up to rest against his chest, Gendry couldn't resist slipping his tongue into her mouth.

She flinched in surprise but quickly got the idea and Gendry had to clench his fists to keep from doing something stupid. The feel of her tongue against his and her hands moving up his chest and around his neck pulling him closer made his body roar to life and he fought against the same urge he'd had when he'd woken with her straddling his groin at the Inn.

Seven hells he wanted her. Wanted her so much that his cock was painfully hard inside his britches as his hands trembled with the effort it took not to pull her down and take her. When she slid her small hands into his messy black hair and she pressed herself closer Gendry was sure he was going to lose the battle. He kissed her like a starving man, knowing he might never get another chance to kiss his wild little she-wolf again.

When she pulled back to catch her breath her eyes were bright and she smiled at him happily, a blush creeping up her cheeks while he fought the urge to take her. It was physically painful for him to restrain himself, his body tight and aching with the need to lay her down here by the fire in the middle of nowhere and take her maidenhead. He wanted some part of her to keep as his forever. Leaning forwards, he laid his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

"Don't ever change" He whispered before he could think better of it. "I know when we get to Winterfell you'll be a highborn lady again and I'll just be the smith, but I want you to always be like this."

"Like what?" Arya whispered. Gendry opened his eyes, Baratheon blue peering into Stark grey for several long minutes.

"Free" Gendry whispered "I want you to always be free. To think what you want and to do as you please…. Don't let them turn you into one of those simpering, silly highborn ladies who giggle about how handsome knights are and turn up their noses at bastards like me. Don't let them take that little sword from you and force you into a stupid dress. Just always be like this, unladylike and as wild as this wolf."

Nymeria yipped beside him as though she understood his words and agreed with him.

"They haven't managed to so far, and I'm not going to let them start now" Arya replied fiercely and Gendry felt his heart give a squeeze inside his chest, knowing that defiant look in her eyes.

"I hope you're right" he told her. "I s'pose we'd better get some sleep. We've got another day of that blasted riding tomorrow."

Arya laughed as he grumbled about the idea of getting back on his horse. She sat still while he rummaged around, trying to find a comfortable spot to lay to sleep, Nymeria got up with a huff too and watched him roll around until he was comfortable.

Gendry looked at Arya when he was stretched out comfortably on his side.

"Keep me warm tonight?" she whispered to him and Gendry smiled at her, lifting his arm and waiting for her to curl up against him, wrapping her up in his arms and holding her close for what might be the last time in his life. He smiled when he felt Nymeria settle herself down on his other side once her mistress was comfortable, her back pressed against his even as Arya rubbed her cheek against his bicep – which she was using as a pillow. Gendry knew he'd have a dead arm by morning but he didn't care.

As he laid there in the dark with a she-wolf pressed either side of him, one human and one direwolf, Gendry wondered what he'd done to have the gods bless him this way and if they would always be so favourable.

Just before he drifted off to sleep he heard Arya whisper to him

"Don't ever leave me."

Smiling into her hair and pulling her closer until her body pressed flush against him, he lifted his head to vow into her ear reassuringly,

"Never."

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys, so I know it's set up to leave it there... I can't decide if I should write a few more chapters, or if I should just leave it here. What do you guys think? You want more? Let me know what you think I should do! Much Love. xx-Kitten.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Ned Stark had just sat down to an evening meal with his family when he heard the sound of shouting and the thud of hooves coming from the yard. His brow furrowing, he retook his feet immediately, and strode towards the sound, concerned by the idea of riders in the night. Dusk had already fallen and so it was unusual to have riders still travelling after dark.

"What is it father?" Bran asked him, striding along behind him. Robb and Rickon were there too and Ned rolled his eyes, knowing he would no doubt hear about it from Cat that all of them had gotten up from the table without excusing themselves. It was bad enough that she didn't have Sansa here to fuss over, but that hadn't been able to be helped. When he'd left King's Landing Sansa had been too afraid to flee and the Lannisters had been holding her captive. It had rankled his sense of rightness when he'd learned of them marrying her off to Tyrion Lannister, the Imp.

Ned had listened to Cat scream about it for more than an hour the night he'd told his wife of their eldest daughter's fate and he had already entered into the process of bringing her home. As he moved Ned knew that far to the south, several of his most trusted men would be secreting themselves into Sansa's bedchamber, where they would 'kidnap' her. He'd given them express permission to destroy whatever they had to in order to make it look as though Sansa had been captured or that she had fled.

Arya's fate was as yet unknown. He'd learned that Yoren had been murdered by the goldcloaks whilst travelling North, and there had been no mention of Arya Stark since before that time. Ned felt a twinge of sadness at the possible fate that may have met his youngest daughter. He needed to ride south again, with a large host in order to deal with any who got in his way while he located both of his daughters and brought them home.

In fact Ned had even begun to formulate plans regarding the matter within his mind when he threw open the doors to the lower hall and strode into the yard where many of his men were aiming bows, swords and spears at three people upon horseback. The horses bore the tack and armour of Goldcloaks, and Ned felt his lip curl with distaste.

"Lord Eddard Stark," one of the riders addressed him, and Ned narrowed his eyes at the sound of the familiar voice, though he could not see the identity of any of the riders because they all kept their hoods up.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ned demanded, "Identify yourselves immediately!"

"As you wish," that familiar voice spoke again, and Ned stared hard at the slightest of the three riders, his brow furrowing when he realised as the figure dismounted that the speaker was female. Beside her a fat youth perhaps of an age with Bran dismounted and tugged his hood off his head, revealing hair the colour of straw and several wobbling chins. The other rider was powerfully built and so imposing in size that Ned found himself reminded of Robert Baratheon.

When the tall rider too, revealed his face, Ned nearly choked in surprise. He could be looking at a younger version of Robert. By the torchlight that lit up the yard illuminating the three strangers, Ned could even make out the glowingly bright Baratheon blue of the lad's eyes and he knew without a doubt that he was looking at one of his old friend's bastards.

The third figure remained a mystery, and Ned stared hard at the young woman. She was tall, though shorter than both of her companions. Skinny too, as though she'd not been getting enough to eat. All three of them wore dusty, grimy-looking travelling clothes and he suspected the shirt the young woman wore might once have been white, though it was now an unattractive shade of brown and grey. One of the wolves trotted into the yard and Ned stared hard at the beast, not sure he entirely recognised it as one of the wolves still belonging to the Stark children. When it trotted over to the young woman, Ned felt a strange spark of hope in his heart.

"These weapons are hardly necessary," the young woman said, though she had a sword strapped to her hip and a bow hung from her saddle while she wore a quiver of arrows on her back.

"Identify yourself," Ned growled, losing patience with the way the young woman had something of a swagger as she strode towards him. He companions moved with her, shadowing her easily. The fat lad looked concerned by the number of weapons pointed at him and Robert's Bastard had his hand wrapped around a heavy war hammer, eyeing them all as though he'd take pleasure in crushing skulls if any one of them laid hand or weapon on the young woman.

"Don't you know me yet?" the young woman teased. The wolf padded beside her as though it too would leap to her defence should the need arise. "Come now, Father, I've not changed that much."

With that said, the young woman threw back her hood and Ned found himself peering into the features that could've belonged to his long-dead sister, Lyanna. A slow, amused smile spread across her face at the sound of the many indrawn gasps from the gather men.

"Arya?" Ned asked, hopeful yet guarded.

"I thought you'd never recognise me," she teased before she ran towards him and launched herself into his arms.

All Ned could do was catch her.

She was too skinny, that much was clear. He could feel the wiriness of her muscled body, but he could feel the brittle bones of one who's been hungry too. As the shock began to sink in, Robb, Bran and Rickon began to cheer, jostling closer and trying to hug their sister.

"Where have you been?" Ned demanded of the girl, holding her by the shoulders and staring down into her familiar grey eyes, refusing to let go of the daughter he hadn't seen in almost three years.

"It's a long walk to here from King's Landing father," she told him with a grin, "And there are some people I want you to meet."

Before any of her brothers could get hold of her, Arya Stark stepped back from them all and nudged both of her companions forward. Shouts were spreading across the yard of Arya's return, but she seemed oblivious to the stir she had caused. Instead she gave both men a little shove towards Ned himself and grinned at him.

"Lord Eddard Stark, may I present my travelling companions…. Gendry Waters," She shoved Robert's Bastard forward a little, "And Hot Pie of King's Landing."

Ned held his hand out to both men. They both looked a little nervous to be meeting him, and Ned could just imagine they must be concerned about how he would react to the idea of his maiden daughter having spent and considerable amount of time travelling with the pair of them.

"Welcome to Winterfell," he told them, noticing the strength and callouses of the hand Gendry offered him, suggesting many years of hard work. It contrasted drastically to the much softer hand of the fat man, Hot Pie. What kind of a name was Hot Pie?

It was clear to him that both of them must've been bastards, no doubt headed for the wall with the group Yoren had been rounding up before he was killed.

"Thank you mi'lord," Gendry said. Ned narrowed his eyes a little, wondering where he'd learned even that courtesy. Hot pie looked shocked and then concerned before rushing to thank him as well, indicating to Ned that the lad spent far less time conversing with lords or knights or noblemen.

"Well, are we going to just stand here in the cold?" Arya demanded when they all stood staring for a few minutes in silence, everyone in too much shock to have Arya suddenly returned to them in the company of a pair of bastards. "Because I'm starving and we've been on the road a long time."

"To supper then," Ned nodded, noticing with a smile that his daughter seemed entirely unchanged from the brash, undisciplined girl she'd always been.

"You better wash up first, all three of you, or Mother is going to have a fit," Robb pointed out, snagging hold of Arya and hauling her into a hug in spite of how filthy she was.

"How else will I know I'm home if she doesn't start shouting at me for being all dirty again?" Arya asked with a cheeky grin, now deigning to hug all of her brothers in greeting while the many gathered guards and Stark men all chuckled at the reminder of the many times as a girl that Arya had been shouted at by Lady Catelyn for getting her gowns and britches dirty and torn.

Ned Stark shook his head, noticing the way the pair of companions she'd brought home with her followed along behind her looking mildly concerned by the large group of people still surrounding them, and somewhat unsure that they should be following but unwilling to leave Arya's side. Ned found himself wondering just how long the trio had been travelling together and just what their relationships were.

"Ned? What was all the fuss about?" Cat called from the Dining Hall where she waited. She stared in surprised as they all came in through the oaken doors, and for the first time in many long years, Ned watched Lady Catelyn do something entirely unladylike and unrefined.

She dropped the goblet she held, wine splashing on the skirts of her dress.

"Arya?" She breathed, her eyes fixed on the grimy, dirty young woman who walked with a bounce in her step and a big smile on her face.

"Hello mother," Arya greeted her as though it had been mere hours since they'd seen one another, rather than the five long years since Arya rode North with him and her sister.

Catelyn seemed to be in shock, but still she raced around the table in a most unladylike display as she ran towards her youngest daughter, flinging herself against the girl. Ned made sure to stand behind the girl, not wanting her to fall should her mother's momentum prove too much for her thin frame.

"You told me it was unladylike to run in the Dining hall mother," Arya said, sounding pleased as she hugged her now sobbing mother, not at all needing Ned's assistance. Cat hiccupped in surprise and pulled back to stare at her daughter. Ned had no doubt the girl would be smiling innocently. Something that was confirmed when Bran began to chortle and Robb rubbed his nose to keep his mother from seeing his smile.

"You're absolutely filthy," Cat exclaimed.

"We've been on the road a long time," Arya shrugged.

"We?"

"Gendry and Hot Pie have been travelling with me," Arya said, nodding to the two grimy boys she'd dragged home with her. Cat stared at them for a moment clearly shocked before she remembered her manners and introduced herself. Both lads looked clumsy and unsure of themselves and how to act around a real lady, telling Ned all he needed to know about how Arya must've been acting around them.

"You all need to wash up and have some supper!" Cat announced "By the Seven, look at all this dust and grime. How many times do I have to lecture you about the importance of bathing Arya?"

If Ned didn't know better, he'd swear Arya utterly beamed with happiness as her mother began to lecture her about hygiene, catching the eyes of her brothers and of her companions and slyly rolling her eyes at them all while her mother went on and on about it.

"Alright, Cat," Ned interrupted, "Let the girl catch her breath. They've had a long journey and I'm sure they're hungry, washing up for supper can wait until they're fed."

"Thank you father, come on Gendry, Hot Pie, over here," Arya called cheerfully, bounding towards the table with all the spryness and youthful grace she'd possessed when she was still just a child. She threw herself down in the place she always sat at their table, clearing some space next to her for her two companions. Both of them looked nervous, though they kept their eyes on their feet as they followed her over and sat down beside his daughter. She rolled her eyes in frustration when they both just sat there looking nervous, shoving plates at them and reaching for the food laid out of the table, filling her own plate and handing them things too.

"Are you all going to stand there and stare while we eat, or are you going to join us?" Arya asked, and Ned gave a start when he realised that he, Cat and their three sons had all been standing simply staring at Arya and her two friends, drinking in the sight of having her home.

"Let's eat," Ned announced to the family, noticing that many of the guard were also lingering staring at his returned daughter. "All of us."

Arya glanced over at Gendry and Hot Pie. Both of them were eating in silence, but Arya could sense how uncomfortable they were to be so filthy whilst eating at the same table as Lords and a Lady.

"So where have you been, Arya?" Ned Stark asked her.

"Travelling home," Arya replied, "We were with Yoren and the group headed for the Night's Watch for quite a while, but when the Goldcloaks came looking for Gendry and Yoren wouldn't give him up, we had to separate from them. It's just been me, Gendry and Hot Pie since then."

"What'd those idiots want with you Gendry?" Bran asked casually and Arya caught the concerned stare her mother had fixed on her and her companions. Gendry's eyes went wide to be addressed by a lord's son and he seemed to be at a loss for words. He opened his mouth to answer, but all that came out was a small grunt. He blushed and cleared his throat looking more and more flustered.

Arya smirked.

"They would've been Hunting King Robert's bastards on King Joffery's orders when Stannis announced to the world that Cersei's bastard children weren't actually Robert's," Ned answered wisely, and Arya caught the way he grinned at her because Gendry had turned red with embarrassment. Gendry looked confused to hear that.

"You look just like him," Ned continued, addressing Gendry directly, "When you tossed your hood back out there for a minute I thought I was looking at Robert's twenty year old ghost."

"The two of you were destined for the Night's watch?" Catelyn asked and Arya caught the sharp tone in her mother's voice, suspecting she wanted to know what they'd done to be being sent to the watch.

"Yes mi'lady," Hot Pie replied around a mouthful of venison stew.

"Stop glaring at them, Mother," Arya warned, "They're not criminals. Gendry's master sold him to the Watch and Hot Pie joined because there wasn't enough food for all the people living in Flea Bottom."

Catelyn looked somewhat appeased, and her cheeks turned pink at Arya drawing attention to her suspicion.

"Your master?" Ned asked Gendry.

"Tobho Mott," Gendry answered, "I was an apprentice smith before he sold me."

"Have you finished your training?" Ned asked him seriously and Arya watched her father carefully.

"Well enough, mi'lord," Gendry nodded politely.

"Well enough?" Arya protested, "You make some of the best weapons and armour I've ever seen! Just because you haven't got that helmet anymore doesn't mean you can't brag about how good you are."

Gendry blushed and Arya caught the way her brothers and father chuckled while Hot Pie began to grin.

"Excellent. We've been in need of a new smith, if you're interested in the job." Ned said.

"What happened to Mikken?" Arya asked him seriously even as Gendry opened his mouth to reply, nodding slowly.

"He was wounded in battle," Ned replied "Lost one of his arms. He still does what he can, but there's not much a smith can do with just one hand. So if you're interested Gendry, you're welcome to the forge. I know Mikken's more interested in enjoying his grandkids these days anyways."

"I'd be honoured mi'lord," Gendry replied and Arya saw the genuine smile that spread across his face when he looked back at his plate.

"Hot Pie's a fantastic cook too," Arya said, bragging about her two friends proudly, "He bakes the sweetest bread I've ever eaten."

"There's always plenty of room in the kitchen," Ned smiled, "Just the other day Cook was grousing about not having anyone decent to help her run things, nor the patience to train anyone."

"I told you both that we'd get you jobs here, didn't I?" Arya grinned at her friends happily, both of whom looked far more comfortable now that they'd been offered the chance to stay in Winterfell.

"What did you think I was going to do, send the two men who brought my daughter home to us alive and healthy and safe, off to the Wall to suffer in that bitter cold?" Ned demanded, but Arya could see the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Gendry and Hot Pie both looked at their plates, and Arya realised they really had believed they would be sent away.

"Seven Hells, Arya. What did you tell the poor lads about me? That I'm some brute?" Ned demanded and Arya grinned at him.

"Of course not father. These two are just too stupid to listen to me," Arya informed them all, earning laughs from all around the table.

"So if Hot Pie does the cooking, and Gendry deals with the weapons and swings that war hammer he's got hanging from his belt should the need arise, what do you contribute to this little group Arya?" Bran asked, teasing her.

"I do the killing," Arya replied, grinning toothily at her brother's expression while Catelyn uttered a little shriek of horror.

"You what?" she gasped.

Arya glanced around the table, noticing that Gendry had lifted his gaze to hers and looked concerned that she would admit that.

"I said I do the killing mother. I hunt the rabbits and things we eat by shooting them with my bow," Arya explained. She noticed the way everyone around the table relaxed a little instead of continuing to look so tense.

"Not a good shot then?" Bran asked, nudging Gendry.

"Couldn't hit a rabbit with a bow to save my life," Gendry admitted, smiling good naturedly.

"Tell me true Arya, is that what you all meant when you said you do the killing?" Ned asked her, and Arya looked up to find her father's grey eyes fixed on her.

"I'm good at hunting," Arya replied evasively, "I'm good at sneaking up on my prey."

Ned narrowed his eyes on her and Arya could tell he understood that she meant she'd actually killed a man, not just that she was good at hunting animals.

"Must you always be so unladylike?" Cat demanded.

"Not to contradict you, mi'lady," Gendry began, jumping to her defence, "But if Arya had been ladylike, we'd have all starved to death years ago."

Cat looked affronted and mollified and the same time and Arya stomped on Gendry's foot under the table when Ned narrowed his gaze further, and Robb began to stare at the pair of them suspiciously.

"It's true," Hot Pie piped up, "She fed us, else we would've never made it past the Riverlands."

"How _did_ you survive?" Rickon asked, oblivious to the tense moment.

"Pretended I was a boy, mostly," Arya admitted.

"I didn't even know she was a girl until two or three moons ago," Hot Pie said. Clearly the ale in his mug was loosening his tongue. "How long did you know Gendry?"

Arya could tell her parents were wondering the same thing and Gendry glanced at her sideways, clearly wondering if he should admit the truth. Arya shrugged minutely at him. She knew her parents, her mother in particular, would go berserk if they found at she'd been kissing Gendry, but she didn't really care. She liked the way she felt when she kissed him and she wasn't about to just pretend it hadn't happened.

"I knew she was a girl when we were still travelling with Yoren and the others for the Night's Watch," Gendry admitted nonchalantly before taking a big bite of steak so that he wouldn't have to talk again for a bit.

"And you never told me?" Hot Pie asked, looking affronted now.

"You'd have blabbed about it and made a big deal about me girl a lady and probably gotten us all killed," Arya told Hot Pie. Her parents were watching them all closely now, especially Gendry, who'd taken great interest in the food on his plate all of a sudden. Arya chose not to speak, knowing they would be drawing their own conclusions but not really knowing what to do about it. After all, she rather liked kissing Gendry, and the idea of having her parents trying to interfere didn't sit well with her. She fancied him rather a lot, and there was no way she was going to let father marry her off to some stupid lord. She'd been staying in Winterfell with Gendry and Hot Pie and that would be that.

Before any of them could say anything about it Bran and Rickon began firing questions at her about how they been on the run, what they'd been forced to do, how they'd survived. Arya had never been so grateful to have such inquisitive brother before in her life and when supper was over she made sure to show Gendry and Hot Pie to guest rooms inside the castle where they could wash up and get ready for bed. She knew her mother would probably have preferred to have Hot Pie in the cook's quarters and Gendry out in the forge, but Arya wouldn't hear of it and Ned had insisted that bringing Arya home safely was more than ample to allow them to live within the castle.

When she went to her own bedchamber, Nymeria on her heels and began to undress for her bath, Arya groaned to hear her mother barging into the room, just knowing the inquisition was about to begin.

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**A/N: So I finally got around to updating this one. Yay! Leave me a review with your thoughts. **


	5. Chapter 5

**IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THOSE WHO MISSED THIS IN CHAPTER 1:** _In this story Ned, Arya and Sansa go to King's Landing after Jon Arryn dies, but Ned never learns about Joffery being an incest baby. He bends the knee, and not long after that Stannis – who was contacted by Jon Arryn about Joffery – declares war on the Lannisters, sending ravens to all in the realm about Joff. Ned and his men along with Lannister men are sent to convince Stannis otherwise, where Ned joins with Stannis, killing off the Lannister men in their party. Sansa still gets stuck in King's Landing since she is too afraid to run away, but Ned speaks to Yoren to have Arya smuggled out of the city and returned to Winterfell. There is still war, from Stannis and many other Barratheon bannermen on Lannisters. Ned is with Stannis, but as he is winning, Ned will soon return to Winterfell where he will find Arya not home and will have to rescue Sansa from Tyrion. Robb, Cat, Theon and the other Stark children besides Arya and Sansa are still in Winterfell. Jon is at the Wall. There is no battle of five armies, no King in the North, and no Greyjoy uprising. Those bastard Boltons don't get any kind of power. Arya is making her way home with Gendry and Hot Pie after Yoren puts Gendry in charge of seeing her safely to Winterfell when Cersei sends the Goldcloaks hunting Robert's bastards and he dies fighting them off. They never went to Harrenhal, but are just slowly heading North for Winterfell trying to avoid battles between Lannister and Barratheon banner men._

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**Chapter 5**

Arya cringed at the sight of Lady Catelyn coming towards her where she was seated in her bathtub, scrubbing at the grime and the dirt that clung stubbornly to her skin.

"Mother, I'm trying to bathe," Arya began before her mother could open her mouth and begin ranting.

"And without my help you'll never get all those tangles out of your hair," Catelyn replied sweetly and Arya knew the woman had anticipated her protestations. She sighed, knowing there was no use in arguing when her mother picked up some lathery soap and began working it into Arya wet hair.

"You might as well get it over with," Arya said, several long tense minutes later when her mother still hadn't uttered a word.

"Get what over with, Arya?" Cat asked, clearly feigning innocence.

"The inquisition. You've been glaring at me since Gendry mentioned knowing I was a girl for almost the entire time I've been gone. What do you want to know?" Arya sighed, lifting her face to meet the Tully blue eyes of her mother while Catelyn combed conditioning oils through Arya's hair in an attempt to detangle the birds-nest of greasy, twig riddled locks.

"Did he take your maidenhead?" Catelyn asked her seriously without pause.

"No, Mother. I've not even flowered yet," Arya admitted to her truthfully. Before she'd gone away South with Father and Sansa, Catelyn had been sure to explain to both of her daughters that they might soon become women capable of birthing babes and so become eligible to be wed.

"You haven't?" Cat asked, shocked now to hear that in spite of being five and ten, Arya had yet to menstruate.

"No. But those signs you warned us of have begun to show themselves of late. Beneath the baggy boy's tunics, I wore these began developing," Arya admitted, nodding indicatively at her bared breasts. "I think my hips have been widening too. Last time we stole clothing I had to go back for a pair of men's britches instead of the boy's pair I first took because they were too tight around my hips."

"I see," Her mother replied, "You've begun growing body hair too."

Arya nodded. She'd noticed the gradual appearance of the soft curly hairs at the junction of her thighs and knew it was another sign of her impending womanhood. She certainly wasn't looking forward to the idea of soon being able to birth babes or being eligible for marriage, and she supposed now would be as good a time as any to inform her mother what she had told her father back in King's Landing.

"When I do flower, Mother, I don't intend to take a husband," Arya stated boldly.

"Don't be silly. Of course you'll take a husband. That is the duty of every daughter. Especially one of high birth." Catelyn admonished her.

"Like the way Sansa married the Imp?" Arya asked coldly, not at all liking her mother's dismissive tone. "Is that what you want for me? Forced into a marriage that I want no part of, with someone I'll never love and will most likely end up murdering?"

"Don't talk that way Arya," Her mother warned seriously, "What the Lannisters did to your sister is unforgivable, and your father already has a plan that is being enacted as we speak to free her from that wretched little dwarf. That does not however, excuse you or Sansa from your duty as daughters."

"You mean our duty as bartering chips for political alliances?" Arya snarled, snatching her hair away from her mother and turning in the tub to glare at the red-haired woman who had birthed her.

"I told Father in King's Landing and I will tell you now Mother, that's not me. I am not some meek little female who will submit to the will of others, especially a Lord husband who would force me into horrid dresses and then back out of them every time he wanted to fuck another babe into my belly. There is more to my destiny that mothering children to a man I detest." Arya told her, getting to her feet in the bath and glaring down at her mother where she sat on a stool by the tub looking confused and despairing.

"You think this is what your father and I want, Arya?" Cat asked her softly, all the fight draining out of her and her careful mask of a Lady slipping to show the stressed, worry-sick mother Catelyn Tully had become during the past five years. "You think after all this time, after finally having you back when we didn't even know if you were still alive, that we simply want to barter you away to some lord for his allegiance to your father?"

"You certainly made it sound like it," Arya replied tartly as she dried herself roughly with wolf skins from the bed.

"Well it was not my intention. I doubt your father will ever willingly part with you again, and when Sansa is returned to us, she too will be kept close and safe. I merely meant that someday, my dear daughter, there will come a time when a man will catch your eye and you will grow fond of him. When that time comes your views on marriage will change, and eventually you will take a husband. Your father and I will see to it that he is a good, decent man who will treat you well and who will love you."

"And if he's not some stupid Lord?" Arya asked, thinking of the kisses she'd shared with Gendry.

"I think you had better tell me just how close you and Gendry are, Arya." Catelyn said, clearly seeing right through Arya.

"What does he have to do with a conversation about my refusal to ever marry?" Arya demanded, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks and purposefully looking away from her mother, using the need to find clothing as an excuse to hide her red face from her mother.

"Everything if you're questioning whether or not it would be acceptable for you to marry a man who isn't a Lord," Catelyn said sternly, "So tell me true Arya, what kind of relationship is there between you and this blacksmith? It is clear to me from the glances you shared at dinner and the comments of your cook-friend that the two of you are closer than simply being travel companions."

"He's my friend," Arya replied stoically as she slipped an old tunic she'd stolen from Father years earlier over her head before searching for some of the breaches she'd stolen from Bran when they'd still been children. She cursed foully when they were too shirt and too tight to fit her.

"He's more than your friend. He's known from the beginning that you were a girl, that you were Arya Stark of Winterfell. That much was clear from your shared glances. He may not have taken your maidenhead yet, but I'll wager you've kissed him." Catelyn Stark said, her hands on her hips as she chose to focus on this topic rather than allowing Arya's foul cursing to distract her from the more important discussion at hand.

"So what if he has?" Arya said, her steely grey eyes lifting to meet her mother's. She could see the surprise on her mother's face and she knew that her own wore an expression of determination and non-repentance. "You all place so much value on the status of a person for their birth and whether that have highborn or lowborn blood as though it bloody matters. Gendry's the bastard son of a King, but because his mother was some tavern wench that makes him not good enough for me?"

"You are the daughter of a Lord," Catelyn began but Arya interrupted her.

"And the boy sitting on the Iron throne is the bastard born child of incestuous twins. Before King Robert took the throne the Targaryens wed brother to sister for generations and look how well keeping to highborn blood has worked out for them all! Just because you are a Lady and Father is a Lord does not mean I am any better than anyone else Mother. I am not better than Gendry or Hot Pie. I am not better than Jon. The entire idea of wedding Lords and Ladies is what got us all into this mess in the first place. You wanted to wed Sansa to a monster just because he was a prince and look how that turned out! I don't care if I never take a husband, but if you and Father try and wed me to some stupid lord just because he's a bloody lord I'll disappear back into the night and you'll never find me."

"Arya what are you saying?" Catelyn demanded, looking horrified and a little worried now.

"I'm saying I've survived until now, and that I'll do so again if I have to. I'll run."

"This boy must mean a lot to you indeed then," her mother commented, still seated on the stool by the tub. "That you would risk disgrace and dishonour and sever all ties to your family, the family you've laboured so long to return to, simply to be with him."

"Who said it was to be with him?" Arya asked, narrowing her eyes on her mother.

"You did Arya. When you told me you wouldn't marry a lord." Catelyn replied, "Now, let's stop fighting and get you some pants that actually fit. You can't go parading around the castle in nought but a shirt."

Arya gaped at her mother's words.

"You're not going to try and force me into a dress?" Arya demanded.

"Oh Arya," Cat sighed, getting up slowly and moving towards her daughter, taking her shoulders gently and peering into her beautiful face. "I've missed you, my love. Your defiance and youthful exuberance have left a hole in the atmosphere of this castle, and your absence a hole in my heart that I thought I would never see filled again. I'm so glad to have you home, my wild wolf daughter. So no, I won't be forcing you into dresses or into loveless marriages you don't want just for the sake of what is supposedly right and honourable and dutiful. These long years have taught me one thing, Arya, and that is that there is nothing more important to me than my children's safety and happiness. If it is this blacksmith Gendry who make you happy, so be it."

"You…." Arya sputtered, completely confused and thrown off balance by the change in mother's behaviour and demeanour from the nagging woman she so remembered.

"I've changed, love," Cat smiled at her gently, "The fear that you were dead did that to me. You are a woman grown in all but the literal sense and I would be a fool to treat you as though you were still a child. You have survived for years on your own with nought but the assistance of two bastard boys and your own wits and skills. Had it not been for your defiance as a child I expect I'd have lost you years ago. I do not delude myself into thinking otherwise, and I will not risk losing you again."

"You're not going to force me to marry some lord when my blood comes?" Arya asked her in a small voice, rocked to her core to know that her mother was so different from the woman she remembered.

"No, Arya. I'll not wed you off to anyone you don't love. Now tell me true, do you love this boy, Gendry?" Catelyn asked her and Arya felt a blush creep up her cheeks.

Did she love Gendry?

She certainly couldn't imagine her life without him in it. She tried for a moment to do so, to suffer the way it would feel not to see him every day, not to tolerate his quite humour and his easily sparked fury. She tried to imagine not speaking to him or looking at him or being in his presence and she simply couldn't. She didn't know if she was in love with him the way it was described in the fanciful songs and tales Sansa had so bored her with as a child, but she certainly cared for him very deeply and never wanted to be without him.

"I don't know if I want to marry him," Arya told her mother softly "But I don't want to be without him either."

Cat smiled gently and pulled Arya into a cuddle, pressing the slight girl against her body and holding her tightly. Arya felt her arms automatically curl up around her mother, breathing in the familiar floral scent of her body and feeling the comforting softness of her embrace.

"I thought as much," her mother whispered to Arya, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before pulling back slowly, "Now, the truth, how many times have you kissed him?"

Arya blushed as she admitted, "Three."

"Only three?" Cat asked, looking amazed, "I had thought from your reactions that you must have kissed him at least half a hundred times."

"No. Once when Nymeria came back to me and he was terrified we were both going to die. He spun me around a kissed me before I could react. The other two times were last night." Arya admitted, unsure why she was blurting out such secrets but seemingly unable to hold her tongue as she felt the stir of butterflies in her stomach at the thought of the way he'd kissed her so tenderly the previous evening by the fire.

"No doubt thinking he was going to lose you again when you returned to us here," her mother said, nodding knowingly. "Is he a good man?"

"I think so," Arya nodded at her mother, "He's always looking out for me and he keeps me warm when I get cold."

"When you are a woman can you imagine yourself marrying him, in spite of your hatred for marriage?" Catelyn asked her, sitting her on her bed and pulling a brush through Arya's wet hair to help it dry faster so she wouldn't catch a chill.

"I suppose so," Arya said frowning a little at the idea of ever marrying anyone. "He'd take care of me."

"And if you had to birth babes, would you be terribly put out if he was their father?" her mother asked again, her voice soft and gentle as though she feared that speaking of such things too loud might startle Arya away.

Arya felt a small smile pull at the corners of her mouth as she thought about it. She'd never before even pondered the idea of having children of her own, but the idea of Gendry's huge hands cradling one of those tiny babes as he looked at her fearing he might drop it or crush it suddenly had her thinking that if she did ever have children with anyone, she'd want to have them with Gendry.

"He'd be a good Father. He's nothing like that drunk old King who fathered him. He'd take care of them the way Father has always taken care of all of us," Arya murmured.

"Pity that we'd need the permission of a King to see the two of you wed," Catelyn whispered.

"Why would we?" Arya asked just as softly "Joffrey is no King, and the Targaryen girl who is supposedly coming to claim her throne won't care one way or the other. In fact she'd probably prefer to see all of us dead since the Starks helped see her family slaughtered and her exiled in the first place. There's Stannis, of course, but he's too much of a stickler for tradition and rules. Besides, once we are wed before a Heart tree in the eyes of the gods there are none who can undo it. Not even a king."

"You would have to give up your birthright you know?" Catelyn told her softly.

"What birthright? I'm just a daughter mother, and the second daughter at that. Robb is heir to Winterfell, and after him it would fall to Bran and then Rickon should they not have sons of their own. They would not exile me from Winterfell, and my children would not pose a threat to their lordship. Besides, you know I never wanted to be a Lady."

Catelyn Tully fell quiet after that and Arya didn't say anymore on the subject. She didn't even know if Gendry would want to marry her, and besides, for no she was still not even a woman. She could not be wed until she bled and who knew if that would ever happen. She'd prayed to the Old Gods as a girl that it never would so that she would never have to marry some stupid lord. Maybe they had granted her prayers.

"You have always been my wild, wolf-blooded child." Catelyn murmured finally, "Now come, we'll see what we can find you in the way of britches before you freeze."

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**A/N: So your lovely responses and a urge for more Gendrya fanfiction inspired to me write another chapter in quick succession after the one I published yesterday. I'm also going to be updating with a couple of other new Gendrya fics I've been hiding away for a rainy day, because in my opinion there just aren't enough on here. Especially not of the kind set in Westeros in the books rather than some Modern AU. Therefore, be on the lookout for some new ones and for some updates on the ones already published. What did you think of this one? I was going to have Cat more in character from the books, but with the world I'm creating here it didn't fit right with this turn of events. Review and let me know what you think! Your reviews make me write way faster. xx-Kitten**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm so sorry this update took so long. I hope you like it Don't forget to pop a review at the bottom for me =) Much love! xx-Kitten**

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**The Maiden Wolf &amp; The Bastard Bull**

_By Kittenshift17_

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**Chapter 6**

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Gendry tossed and turned in the feather bed he'd been given inside the walls of Winterfell. The hour was late, he knew, the moon high in the sky and most sensible people were abed and asleep by now. The hearth fire crackled loudly as it devoured the logs he'd fed it before turning into bed for the night. He'd bathed a long time, scrubbing away the grime and dirt from the travel to reach Winterfell.

His whole body still ached from the long time spent in the uncomfortable saddle astride the stolen horse that had belonged to the goldcloaks. Bran had informed him at dinner that the horses would have their tack and everything else removed – probably burning everything that made them look like they belonged to the goldcloaks. And then they would be seen to by stable boys and taken care of as just three mores steeds amidst the stable of Winterfell.

He'd been surprised by the size of the large castle. The Red Keep and other such places in King's Landing had been bigger, of course, but Winterfell looked much older and much sturdier. As though it had weathered many a winter and lived to tell the tale. Indeed it was much warmer inside the castle than it had been outside of it. Gendry was grateful for that.

Yet he couldn't sleep. The sound of the wolves howling in the night wasn't what bothered him. Nor was it the crackle of the fireplace that kept him from slumber. It wasn't even the soft and feathery mattress of the bed he slept in and the lavish chambers he'd been given to sleep in – to live in if he wanted to.

No. it was none of those things that kept him up late in the night. It was the silence and the loneliness. Gendry had spent almost his entire life in the company of others, even in sleep. When he'd worked for Tobho Mott he'd slept in the forge just downstairs from Tobho and his wife. When he'd been on the road with Arya and Hot Pie he'd had Hot Pie's snoring and Arya's growling and grumbling in her sleep to lull him into his own slumber. Being utterly alone inside his chambers with no other sounds of life immediately nearby unnerved him.

He tossed back the other way, trying to get comfortable. Trying to will himself to close his eyes and drift off to sleep. He couldn't seem to manage it. Tomorrow he would meet Mikken and taken up his position in the forge of Winterfell, crafting blades and armour, making anything else the people of Winterfell needed or wanted. He wasn't daunted by the task. In all honesty Gendry was looking forward to it. It had been too long since he'd worked the forges in King's Landing on the Street of Steel. His hands ached for the feel of working the metal.

His body craved the heat of the forge fire. Lord Stark had assured him there were some projects he'd need to take on straight away that Mikken hadn't been able to manage one handed and no one else was doing a very good job of managing. Gendry had been thrilled by the offer to take up the slack and to be offered the job of head Blacksmith for the Starks and Winterfell. He was overwhelmed not to have been told he'd be shipped off to the Wall to serve in the Night's Watch.

Gendry stared at the stone ceiling on his chamber as he recalled the frank discussion he'd had with Lord Stark after Arya had gone off to have a bath. The man had asked after their journey, after Arya's health and a number of other things. Gendry had been surprised when the man didn't ask Gendry if he'd fucked Arya. He didn't ask if he'd kissed her or if she could be pregnant with his bastards. He'd made not even a hint of mention to the notion of his maiden daughter travelling alone with two men and possibly no longer remaining a maid.

He'd been much more interested in thanking Gendry and Hot Pie for bringing Arya home and assuring them both that they would always have a place in Winterfell to call their own. Tossing to his other side in bed once more, Gendry sighed heavily and buried his head under one of the pillows, trying to will himself to sleep. He'd have a long hard day tomorrow and his horse-riding stiff body was likely to feel the sting of working muscles to do his job as he hadn't in five long years.

Gendry hissed in surprised when a cold draft suddenly touched his bare chest and he pulled the pillow off his investigate. His heart stopped when he spotted Arya standing at the edge of the bed, holding the covers up so she could climb in beside him.

"Arya?" he asked, blinking at her stupidly. She was dressed only in a too-big-on-her shirt and nothing else, her long legs bare beneath it.

"You're awake," she smiled at him as she folded herself into bed next to him and shuffled around under the covers until she was warm.

"What are you doing in here? Are you trying to get me killed?" Gendry asked her, still staring at her in bewilderment, "Your Lord father will have my head if he catches you in bed with me, woman!"

"Oh he will not," she rolled her eyes at him and Gendry watched her scuttle across the sheets until she was pressed against his side, rolling so that her back was pressing up against him while she commandeered his arm and began using his bicep for her pillow, curling the appendage around herself snugly.

"He will," Gendry disagreed with her, finding himself curling around her body just the same, "He'll have my head and see me a eunuch if he thinks I'm fucking you. It's a wonder I haven't already been tortured over it."

"No, that was Mother's task. She grilled me about whether or not you'd taken my maidenhead," Arya giggled, burrowing against him snugly as she tried to get comfortable.

"She asked you that?" Gendry wanted to know, wrapping his free arm over her hip and curling himself around her.

He did his best to ignore how his cock twitched in his underthings at the feel of her pressed against him so intimately when he didn't even know if she was wearing britches of any kind under that shirt.

"Yes," Arya sighed sleepily, "She asked me all kinds of things about you. And I was right, you know? They're not going to be stupid and try to keep us away from each other."

Gendry felt something inside himself flip strangely at the thought even as Arya drifted off to sleep in his arms. Smiling to himself, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head before closing his eyes. This time, he finally managed to sleep.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Ned Stark laid in bed staring at the ceiling and waiting for his ladywife to come to bed. She was still up and fussing with her hair.

"So, how did you talk with Arya go?" Ned asked of his wife, watching her where she sat naked at her vanity table, combing her long red hair carefully.

"She hasn't even flowered yet, Ned," Cat told him, "She assured me of that. Neither of those lads took her maindenhead."

"Not that Arya would've put up much of a fight," Ned rolled his eyes, not at all implying he thought his daughter a cheap whore or a loose woman. Merely that her maidenhead was one of those things she was expected to hold onto to keep her honour intact for when she married and she didn't intend to do so. He'd had a frank discussion with her about it when he'd still been in King's Landing with her and knew it to be true.

She had no intention of marrying some stupid Lord to bear him sons and daughters.

"She might have. If Hot Pie had tried anything," Cat smiled secretively at him.

"And Gendry?" Ned asked, knowing that of the two, Robert's bastard son was more likely to appeal to Arya.

"They've been kissing. Though only very recently," Cat confided in him, smiling softly, "And I don't think she realises it yet, but Arya loves that boy."

"I didn't press him with questions about her tonight," Ned nodded in agreement, "But I get the feeling he cares for her too."

"Robert did always say he wanted to join our houses. Gendry might not bear the Baratheon name and title because he's a bastard to a woman not Cersei Lannister, but it seems those are the only children Robert ever sired," Cat said, looking over to him seriously with grim expression on her face.

"You think she'll want to marry him?" Ned asked his wife honestly.

"I asked her if she would. She's still as against the idea of marrying anyone as she's ever been… but she did say she can't imagine her life without him either," Cat smiled softly, "When I asked her if she could ever imagine having his babes she looked like she might not mind so much, if Gendry were there father."

Ned nodded his head slowly.

"Ned… with Stannis only having that daughter with greyscale… and with Renly preferring other men… well, it might very well be that Gendry is one of the only men able to carry on the Baratheon line. Joffrey had the others slaughtered – the ones he could get to in and around King's Landing. I imagine there are more of course, out there in the world where Robert sowed his wild oats but…"

"He's dead Cat," Ned reminded her, "He can't acknowledge Gendry as his son, bastard or not."

"But who is to say he didn't already do so. To you. In private. Before he died," Cat asked quietly, her gaze holding his carefully, "I don't much like the idea of acknowledging bastards outside of wedlock, of course, but the House Baratheon will come to a rather sudden halt if more 'heirs' don't come to light. I know Stannis managed to get to Edric Storm in time to spirit the boy away, but Gendry may well be the only other boy with Baratheon blood that we know of. And if he already acknowledged Edric Storm and Mya Stone too, what's one more? The boy was trained as a Smith. Someone had to pay for that to happen. No tavern wench could've afforded the fee – especially not with the likes of Tobho Mott on the Street of Steel in King's Landing. You know it as well as I do."

"The boy is unassuming Cat, and hard working. He's keen to work the forge here. Why name him a Baratheon and drag him through the danger of being able to challenge Joffrey for Kingship? You know Stannis won't stand for it. It's why he took Edric in to begin with. He foolishly believes he'll make a better king. Another of Robert's bastards vying for the throne would only irk him."

"Oh Ned, you know as well as I do that Stannis Baratheon is not made to be a King. He might make a fine general and lead soldiers bravely into battle both on land and by sea, but he's no King. He's a grumpy old git as like to kick someone as speak to them. And I'm not suggesting that Gendry vie for the chance to be king or anything else. Robert was no more made for being a King than Stannis is. That Targaryen girl in the east needs to do us all a favour and kill of the Lannister to reclaim the throne. Before the Mad King, that family ruled the Seven Kingdoms well. Even if they were incestuous."

"The people will never accept her now. Not when such a fuss is being made about Joffrey being of Cersei and Jamie's incestuous union. The Targaryens carry that taint. Stannis is the rightful King, whether he is suited to it or not. What use is there in naming Gendry a Baratheon now? He won't take the throne. The lad can hardly be in your presence without blushing, let alone amongst the vipers of court."

"I'm not suggesting we make him king, Ned. Arya would make a horrid Queen of the seven Kingdoms. Queen of the North she might do well enough, but not all the Kingdoms. She hates the pomp too much. However, I would rather not deal with the mess associated with having our highborn daughter wed a bastard smith. Even a bastard with Baratheon blood," Catelyn admitted to him and Ned hid his smile at her wheedling and her cunning as she suggested ways to legitimise a match for their daughter that would suit the girl without ruining her reputation and calling for her to give up her title.

"You want me to falsify information about Robert's supposed claiming of more of his bastards?" Ned asked her seriously, "How can I do that after bending the knee to Joffrey before taking up with Stannis?"

"Bastard born sons and daughters – even when they've been claimed – have no claim to the titles of their fathers. Only the right to the name. That's all Gendry needs. He looks enough like Robert that there is no doubt of his heritage. Robert's past instances of naming his bastards works in our favour. Even Joffrey's hunt for the rest of the bastards can be played off as being fear over having them claim his right to the Iron Throne. Cersei never read the things Robert signed over to you before she tore them up and burned them. Claim that Gendry's naming was a part of it and our daughter can be wed without shame."

"He'll still be a bastard, Cat," Ned shook his head at his wife though he smiled gently, "Naming him won't make him less a bastard."

"Oh Ned, you and I both know that being born out of wedlock is frowned upon for the shame on the father and taken out upon the child. You know that. Gods, I didn't raise Jon and not know he was as much your son as Robb, Bran and Rickon."

"You hate Jon," Ned contradicted her.

"I don't hate the boy, Ned," Cat sighed as she crossed over to the bed, "I hate what he represents. He is the child born of passion when you went off to war and left me here. He is a constant reminder of the time I spent sitting here in this castle, new to the North and unsure of myself as Lady Stark of Winterfell. I didn't know if you would ever come home. I was pregnant when you left and I hoped to present Robb to you as a welcome home gift. I didn't expect to be presented with a bastard born son my supposedly honourable husband had sired mere months after leaving me here all by myself. I was hard on the boy, to be sure, and for a time I did loathe him. And you. But it's never been Jon's fault that you did what you did or that I was hurt over it."

Ned stared at his wife feeling rather dumbstruck by her admission. She never liked to speak of his time at war or of Jon and what Ned had done to sire the boy. To hear her speak of it so frankly now rather unsettled him.

"I still dislike what Jon Snow represents to this family, Ned," Cat admitted, "But I do not hate him. I do not wish him ill. I prefer not having to see a walking, talking reminder of your infidelity, but there is little for it. He was raised alongside out children and in many ways I think of him merely as another of our sons. I nursed him long enough to love him like a son, even if I loathed him at the time. It's never been his fault that you did what you did. Just like it's not Gendry's fault Robert was more interested in drinking and whoring that anything else. He is as much Robert's son as Jon is yours. Even as much as Robb is yours. His being born out of wedlock does not make him less a man or less a person. Given Cersei's filth and the fact that he is one of Robert's only actual heirs, it can hardly be disputed that the boy is his son. He hasn't any real children of his seed to his marriage with that Lannister bitch."

"Would you be discussing such things if not for Arya's interest in him?" Ned wanted to know, "If he had turned up here without bringing Arya home – merely as one of Robert's bastards looking for Smith work, would you be so interested in his heritage."

"No," Cat answered honestly, "But we got her back, Ned. I won't lose her over ridiculous rot about titles and other nonsense when that boy could be legitimately claimed by Robert – truth or not. He is the man's son and that's all there is to it. He ought to be named as such and then Arya can marry him without so much disgrace. There will still be some, as he is still a bastard – named or not – but there will be less if he is named."

Ned sighed heavily, scratching his chest idly as he peered at the ceiling.

"And what am I to tell Stannis about my daughter wedding one of Robert's bastards that no one knew existed until today?" Ned wanted to know.

"What does he need to know about it?" Catelyn asked him, nuzzling into his chest and tucking her naked form into his arms where she belonged.

"He's the rightful king. He'll want to know about it. Especially given that Gendry is one of Robert's bastards," Ned pointed out.

"Tell him that Robert gave you a list of all the bastards he knew he'd sired and that he claimed them all," Catelyn shrugged, "Tell him that is how Cersei's men hunted them all down. Tell him you thought Gendry had been slaughtered along with the rest and you were as surprised to see him as you were to see Arya."

"And if they decide not to marry?" Ned asked.

"Then the Baratheon names lives on through him and any children he sires when he marries," Catelyn shrugged, "They are one of the ruling families of the Sven Kingdoms. They cannot be allowed to slip into history so soon, forgotten and ended with Robert."

Ned shook his head fondly at his wife even as she leaned up, a coy smile on her pretty face before she captured her lips with his and proceeded to show him just how happy she was today.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Meanwhile, thousands of leagues away in the bowels of King's Landing, Stark men were faltering in their task of securing Sansa Stark and returning her to her family in Winterfell. The city was abuzz with Lannister fury to learn that the young woman had already escaped on her own. It was believed that the Hound had been slain and Lady Sansa had disappeared from the Red Keep and indeed the city with not a word, a whisper or even a hint at her departure.


End file.
